Please Join Us in the Fight for a Cure

Your tax-deductible gift today can fund critical diabetes research and support vital diabetes education services that improve the lives of those with diabetes.

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Why Give?

Nearly 30 million battle diabetes and every 23 seconds someone new is diagnosed. Diabetes causes more deaths a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Your gift today will help us get closer to curing diabetes and better treatments for those living with diabetes.

If you are an attorney or advocate with questions about diabetes-related cases or legal questions, see Attorney Materials for detailed legal materials and memoranda.

Can I Get Disability Benefits for Diabetes?

Sometimes. People with diabetes can sometimes get disability benefits, but not always.

People with diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, do not always qualify for Social Security disability benefits. There must be serious problems with diabetes in order to get Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). For work sponsored short or long term disability plans, each plan is different. Read the policy closely to learn more. Finally, different states can have different laws for their own benefit programs.

How is Diabetes Defined as a Disability Under Federal Law?

Diabetes is a disability because it substantially limits the function of the endocrine system

Diabetes can be an "invisible" disability

Diabetes is still a disability, even if a person is healthy and diabetes is well-managed

Diabetes limits the endocrine system. This is the system that regulates insulin and blood glucose (sugar). Specifically, federal laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, protect qualified individuals with a disability. Since 2009, amendments and regulations for these laws make clear that diabetes is a disability since it substantially limits the function of the endocrine system. This internal limitation is enough—no outside limitation is necessary. This means diabetes can be an "invisible" disability.

Federal law does not take into account mitigating measures such as medication use when determining whether an individual is a qualifying person with a disability. A person may have diabetes completely under control through medicine and lifestyle changes, and still have a qualifying disability. That means that for the purpose of defining disability, the laws look at how the person would be if they stopped treating diabetes in any way. Usually, that would be very bad. As a result, diabetes is almost always a disability.

For more information on proving diabetes as a disability in the legal context see the following resources:

If you are an attorney or advocate with questions about diabetes-related cases or legal questions, see Attorney Materials for detailed legal materials and memoranda.

Is Diabetes a Disability Under State Law?

State and local law often are similar to federal law, and have the same definition of disability. In some states, the protections are greater, in others they are less. When state law is weaker, the federal protections apply. When state law is stronger, state law protections apply on top of the federal protections.

Need Help?

Sometimes in life people with diabetes will face a problem related to diabetes, and it will just not seem right. If you have questions about your rights, or how to advocate for someone with diabetes, we are here to help.

If you have more questions about the law, or need help with on-going problems related to diabetes, email askADA@diabetes.org, or call the American Diabetes Association Association at 1-800-DIABETES (342-2383).